Beef Cattle

Preserving the Future: How Tennessee is Protecting Farmland While Driving Development

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:59:16 GMT

How is Tennessee, one of the fastest-growing states in the country, balancing economic development while still protecting farmland? Gov. Bill Lee says it’s one of the state’s greatest challenges, but he believes there is a way to do both.

Last year, Lee signed the Tennessee Farmland Preservation Act into law, tasking the Tennessee Department of Agriculture with developing a grant program to incentivize farmland owners to voluntarily enroll their land in a permanent conservation easement.

“We lose 9 acres an hour to development,” Lee said at the 2026 Top Producer Summit . “We recognize that agriculture is our No. 1 driver of our economy, so we have to preserve farmland. This act will incentivize farm property, and agriculture property in particular, to be put in land trusts so it can never be developed. This effort has been widely accepted by farmers and is beginning to take effect.”

Where is the Push for Economic Development in Tennessee?

Although economic development is taking place in many different forms, the state of Tennessee is seeing a big push for data centers. For some farmers, this could be the revenue generator they’ve been waiting on, but for others, it’s a contentious issue.

“If we are going to have a data center, it has to work for all of us,” Lee says. “Most important is that the impact on the grid for power is one that our state can effectively manage.”

He believes the data centers and the companies behind them should be partners with the state and with regulatory bodies.

“They should come in and say, ‘If we’re going to come here, this is what we will deliver to the state,’” Lee says. “Besides just the investment in dollars and what they will take from the grid, how will they deliver to the state?”

AI, a major data center and supercomputing facility in Memphis, is an example of a good partnership, he says.

“They are producing their own power and contributing to the grid. It’s a great partnership and model for things that we should be looking for in the future,” Lee adds.

How is Tennessee Helping Farmers?

Tennessee crop farmers are feeling pain right now like their peers across the country.

“It’s a tough environment for crop farmers,” Lee says. “We’ve seen the staggering losses some of our producers have experienced. But they’re very resilient people. They know that a few years ago, crop prices were good. Right now, they’re really bad. A lot of patience is required in farming, and they know that.”

Stability and predictability are nearly impossible to have in agriculture, he says. But he’s working to help provide stability and predictability from a federal standpoint through ag policy efforts.

“I think that’s what farmers look for more than anything,” Lee says. “They don’t want a rescue or an immediate solution to the problem they have. I think farmers want some indication of what stability looks like and what predictability looks like and what they can expect in the future.”

From a livestock standpoint, Tennessee has been investing heavily in the development of more local processing options.

“We do believe that locally sourced products are helpful to our own ag community,” he says. “To the degree that we can facilitate that in this state, we ought to do it. We’ve broadly expanded our ability to process beef in this state. We’re not nearly where we need to be, but we’re headed in the right direction.”

Creating a Pipeline for Agriculture

Lee is passionate about thinking about the future and creating pathways for skilled trades, especially in the agriculture industry. His experience running a company in the skilled trades business — plumbers, pipefitters, electricians and welders — has helped him see the need firsthand.

“One of the most important things we can do is recognize that kids’ giftings are really different,” Lee says.

Lee’s passion to better meet the demand for skilled labor came to fruition through the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) Act.

“It created, initially, a $1-million program in high schools for vocational, technical and agricultural education programs,” he says. “It led to $500 million in middle school career and technical education programs, and ultimately $1 billion in our colleges of technology that deliver ag education, technical education and vocational education. We have removed the waitlist for our colleges of technology. We’re delivering 10,000 more workers a year who are skilled tradesmen.”

He believes it’s one of the reasons Tennessee has so many global companies making the decision to come to the state.

“We have a lot of activity here economically because the state with the workers is going to win every time,” Lee says. “We started seven years ago by creating a workforce that was much more diverse than what it had been previously, and that includes agricultural education.”

As a cattle producer and proud Tennessean, Lee says he’s most proud of how he’s helped support the state’s future in agriculture by investing in youth and the technologies that will be the future.

“It will be fun for me to look back years from now and say, ‘I’m really glad we did that. Ag was No. 1 in Tennessee when I was there, and ag is still No. 1 in Tennessee now that I’ve been gone,’” he says. “That’s what I hope for.”

House Approves Gray Wolf Protection Removal in a Victory for Cattlemen

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 15:15:21 GMT

In a bipartisan vote of 211-204, the U.S. House passed the Pet and Livestock Protection Act (H.R. 845), introduced by Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) on Dec. 18. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act delists the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA), prevents endless lawfare from overturning the decision, and restores authority to state lawmakers and wildlife officials to responsibly manage gray wolf populations.

“When federal protections were first established for gray wolves in the Great Lakes region, populations were only in the hundreds,” says Congressman Tom Tiffany . “Today, there are well over 4,000 wolves across Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Despite this recovery, activist judges continue to ignore the science, leaving livestock and pets to be slaughtered and rural communities vulnerable.”

Tiffany says the Pet and Livestock Protection Act reflects a commonsense approach that has been recognized across administrations of both parties, including Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden.

“The gray wolf has recovered, and Wisconsin should be allowed to responsibly manage a population that has exceeded recovery goals without interference from out-of-state judges,” Tiffany says.

NCBA Responds

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) have been strong supporters of this legislation which would reissue the 2020 rule delisting gray wolves in the lower 48 states and ensure that the delisting cannot be overturned in federal court again.

“For too long, ranchers have grappled with the pendulum swing of regulatory determination on the gray wolf,” says NCBA president and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein. “The last three presidents have concluded that the gray wolf is fully recovered, yet lawsuits from activist groups have forced the agency to back away from sound science and keep the wolf listed.”

Wehrbein believes this would give management decisions and certainty back to cattle producers, who are suffering financially and emotionally from wolf depredations that increase every year.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert says she is thrilled the Pet and Livestock Protection Act has now passed the House with a bipartisan vote, marking a major win for ranchers, farmers and property owners in Colorado and nationwide.

“The science has been clear for years: gray wolves are fully recovered, and their resurgence deserves to be celebrated as a true conservation success story,” Boebert says. “It’s long past time to delist them and empower states to set their own management policies. I can’t wait for President Trump to sign this bill into law.”

Gray wolves were delisted during the first Trump administration in 2020 , but this rule was vacated by a U.S. District Courting ruling in 2022. Since being listed under the ESA in 1974, the gray wolf population has seen tremendous recovery, exceeding recovery goals by 300%.

The next step for the Pet and Livestock Protection Act is for it to move to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

OSU Agriculture Launches Animal Excellence Initiative to Improve Livestock Health

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 21:00:11 GMT

Oklahoma State University is building on its long-standing tradition of leadership in animal agriculture with the launch of the OSU Agriculture Animal Excellence initiative, a comprehensive effort to elevate teaching, research and Extension programs that impact animal health.

OSU Creates Beef Center of Excellence

At the heart of this initiative is the creation of the Beef Center of Excellence, a cross-disciplinary hub designed to unite experts across the beef supply chain.

The Beef Center of Excellence will drive innovation through cutting-edge research, advanced Extension services and collaborative partnerships aimed at improving profitability and sustainability for beef producers today and in the future, said Robert Hodgen, president and CEO of King Ranch Inc. and a member of the Beef Center of Excellence advisory board.

“Creating the Beef Center of Excellence is a way to put a stake in the ground and say that Oklahoma State is going to be great at thinking about the broader cattle and beef industry,” Hodgen said. “By having this, we can attract even more great students from around the world, who want to focus on making a great-tasting product that’s nutritious for the consumer and grown in a sustainable manner.”

Supported by an advisory board, an executive director and endowed chairs in areas such as artificial intelligence, beef cattle economics, and rangeland ecology, the Beef Center of Excellence will fund impactful research and outreach.

Additionally, the Animal Excellence initiative includes facility and technology upgrades to modernize OSU’s animal teaching and research units.

OSU remains one of the few universities with operating units for all food animal species and is nationally recognized for the superior quality of livestock, teaching and research, all within proximity to OSU’s main campus.

“The animal units are a critical part of everything we do,” said Richard Coffey, head of the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences. “The animal units so close to campus give us the opportunity to use them as a recruiting tool for real, hands-on teaching with our students. Part of the reason we get students from more than 40 different states across the U.S. is that they know they can come to OSU and participate in hands-on learning as part of their education.”

OSU Agriculture established the Animal Unit Endowment Fund to address critical infrastructure needs, advancing experiential learning and research capabilities to enhance human, animal and environmental health.

“We are at the point that a lot of our facilities are starting to show their age,” Coffey said. “We’ve completed some master planning to really think about what the next 20 to 30 years will look like for those units, not only to keep the locations where they’re at, but also to have modern facilities for our students. We’re looking to upgrade some of our facilities since they are at the end of their functional life.”

Oklahoma Pork Council Gifts Farm Improvements

Recently, the Oklahoma Pork Council made a generous gift to the OSU Swine Research and Education Center to support building improvements and ensure the long-term sustainability of this vital program.

The Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors values the work OSU does in swine production research and in providing hands-on learning experiences for students, said Kylee Deniz, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council.

“As a board representing the full spectrum of Oklahoma’s pork industry, from first-time 4-H exhibitors to our largest commercial producers, our mission is to support each segment,” Deniz said. “We believe the OSU Swine Research and Education Center is pivotal in equipping the university to lead the swine industry forward through cutting-edge research that can be applied directly on Oklahoma pig farms.”

Deniz said the Oklahoma Pork Council wants to help build the Swine Research and Education Center for the future, a facility that will not only support the industry through relevant, high-quality production research but also train and equip students to enter and excel in the pork industry workforce.

“OSU has the potential to serve as a hub for the pork industry and as a trusted resource for consumers who want to better understand how pigs are raised,” she said. “Through this investment, the benefits to the industry reach both sides of on-farm advancements while also building consumer confidence in how Oklahoma pork is produced.”

In addition to the Swine Research and Education Center, the Animal Unit Endowment Fund will provide support to maintain and enhance the student experience and research capabilities of the Charles and Linda Cline Equine Center, the Ferguson Family Dairy Center, the Sheep & Goat Center, the Purebred Beef Center and the Willard Sparks Beef Research Center.

For more information about supporting the Beef Center of Excellence and OSU’s animal teaching and research units, visit Animal Excellence online .

FSIS Releases Updated Guidelines for Verification of U.S.-Origin Label Claims

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:40:11 GMT

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a directive for inspection program personnel (IPP) Dec. 10 that provides instructions for label verification of voluntary U.S.-origin claims.

As of Jan. 1, 2026, establishments that use a U.S.-origin claim on FSIS-regulated products will need to maintain and provide the agency access to documentation that demonstrates how the product meets the regulatory criteria for use of the claim.

FSIS published the final rule, “Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims,” in March 2024, amending the regulations to define the conditions under which the labeling of meat and poultry products may bear voluntary label claims indicating that the product is of U.S. origin.

The final rule also clarified requirements for voluntary state-origin claims. FSIS said it will initially focus verification efforts on “Product of USA” and “Made in the USA” claims beginning in January. FSIS may issue further instructions for state-origin claims in a future revision of the directive.

In addition to the directive, FSIS provided an updated guideline for label approval designed to prevent the introduction of adulterated or misbranded products into commerce. Labeling and Program Delivery Staff (LPDS) will implement a prior label approval system for labels intended to be used on federally inspected meat, poultry and egg products, including imported products. Without approved labels, meat, poultry and egg products may not be sold, offered for sale, or otherwise distributed in commerce.

Changes from the Previous Version

This guideline, dated December 2025, replaces the previous version dated March 2024. FSIS says it will update this guideline as necessary when new information becomes available.

This version incorporates the following changes:

Adds clarification to the section “Geographic Claims on Labels.”
Adds information and examples to the section “‘Product of USA,’ ‘Made in the USA’ and Other Voluntary U.S.-Origin Claims” that provides clarification on the requirements for the voluntary U.S.-origin label claims, “Product of USA” and “Made in the USA.”
Adds information and examples to the section “Factual Claims Other than ‘Product of USA’ and ‘Made in the USA.’”
Adds an example to the section “Required Documentation to Support U.S.-Origin Claims.”
Updates Appendix 9 to provide clarification about the impact of the final rule “Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims” on different types of state endorsement program logos.

The guidelines also confirmed that the meaning of “raised” is from birth to slaughter, and the term “harvested” may be used to mean slaughtered. In addition, FSIS says the U.S. origin requirements do not apply to sub-ingredients.

Upcoming Webinars on the Voluntary “Product of USA” Labeling Claim

To assist industry and state partners in understanding the new requirements, FSIS plans to host two informational webinars: one for industry stakeholders and the other for state government officials.

Visit the Voluntary “Product of USA” Labeling Claim Webinars 2025 event page on the FSIS website for event details. FSIS encourages all interested establishments, state inspection program officials, and trade associations to attend the appropriate session.

Industry stakeholder webinar: Dec. 15, 1-2 p.m. ET
State government official webinar: Dec. 16, 1-2 p.m. ET

The webinars will cover updated guidance and offer an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions. An updated guidance document will be available in the Federal Register and additional background information on the webinars will be posted to the FSIS events page next week. These materials will provide additional clarity on eligibility, documentation and compliance expectations for establishments choosing to use the revised claim.

Bugs Beware: Next Gen Prepares to Combat Insect Threats to Animal Health

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:42:45 GMT

The nation is facing a critical shortage of veterinary entomologists. Kansas State University is ramping up efforts to create awareness and opportunity for students interested in playing a crucial role in safeguarding livestock health and agricultural economies by studying insects and ticks that affect animals.

“With increasing insecticide resistance and the emergence of new tick and tick-borne pathogen species, our capacity to meet future research, extension and teaching needs in this area is more critical than ever,” Cassandra Olds, assistant professor of entomology at K-State, says in a release.

To address this increasing challenge, Olds collaborated with other university veterinary entomologists to develop the Research and Extension Experience in Veterinary Entomology for Students (REEVES) program .

“Despite the significant impact arthropods like ticks and insects have on livestock production, there’s a serious lack of trained veterinary entomologists,” Olds says. “Many students simply aren’t aware of this viable career path or what it entails.”

Funded by the USDA-NIFA and led by the University of Tennessee, the 8-week summer residential program offers an immersive, hands-on experience in veterinary entomology research and extension.

“The overarching goal of REEVES is to introduce and train talented individuals for graduate and professional programs, as well as livestock-associated careers that emphasize team science,” the release says. “The program educates them on the fundamentals of veterinary entomology and provides them with real-world project experience relevant to the needs of stakeholders.”

Two scholars are placed at each participating institution each year, K-State, University of Tennessee, Texas A&M and University of Georgia, and will run from 2025 till 2028.

Not only will REEVES scholars engage in impactful research, but they will also have the opportunity to present their research at the annual Livestock Insect Workers Conference and an online REEVES Expo. For example, K-State scholars evaluated the impact of stable flies on cattle performance in feedlots this year and investigated recent outbreaks of Theileria orientalis in the region.

“For me, the most exciting aspect of this field is the chance to do good at every level,” Olds adds. “You have the opportunity to positively impact both animal health and well-being, while simultaneously improving the livelihoods of the people who own them.”

Emergency Use of Animal Drugs Approved to Combat New World Screwworm

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:09:22 GMT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a declaration on Aug. 19 allowing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for animal drugs to treat or prevent infestations caused by the New World screwworm (NWS).

This declaration applies only to drugs for animals. NWS infests warm-blooded animals, including livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, humans, causing severe tissue damage and sometimes death. The risk to human health in the U.S. remains very low, but the potential future threat to animal populations and the food supply chain requires proactive action.

Although eradicated from North America and Central America decades ago, NWS has progressed north since 2022 and is now approaching the U.S. border with Mexico. This parasite poses an emerging threat to livestock and food security, with potential impacts on both national security and animal health.

“Today we are taking decisive action to safeguard the nation’s food supply from this emerging threat,” says HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “This authorization equips FDA to act quickly, limit the spread of New World Screwworm, and protect America’s livestock.”

Currently, there are no FDA-approved drugs for NWS in the U.S. The FDA through an EUA can authorize the flexible, faster use of certain animal drug products that may be approved for other purposes, or available in other countries, but not formally approved for NWS in the U.S. This ensures veterinarians, farmers, and animal health officials have timely access to the tools they need to protect pets, livestock and the nation’s food supply.

“Thank you to my friends and partners Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary who are answering the call and supporting our aggressive plan to push back and ultimately defeat this devastating pest. This emergency use authorization is another tool we can use in the fight against New World Screwworm,” says Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “Our cattle ranchers and livestock producers are relying on the Trump Administration to defend their livelihoods. Stopping this pest is a national security priority and we are linking arms across President Trump’s cabinet to defend our borders and push back this threat.”

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., adds, “Our priority is to safeguard both animal health and the nation’s food supply. FDA is acting swiftly and responsibly to help ensure we have the necessary tools to prevent and control New World Screwworm, minimizing risks to agriculture and public health.”

FDA will provide future guidance to veterinarians and stakeholders on the appropriate use of any products authorized for emergency use and update the New World Screwworm: Information for Veterinarians page.

Tick Riders Join the Fight Against New World Screwworm Threat

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:53:22 GMT

With the detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, the Tick Riders, a dedicated group of mounted patrol inspectors, will have a new job to tackle.

The Tick Riders have been patrolling the southern U.S. border for more than 100 years. Their mission has been protecting U.S. cattle from the cattle fever tick, a troublesome parasite that causes severe blood loss, weakness and can transmit deadly diseases like babesiosis and anaplasmosis.

The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP), established in 1906, uses modern tools like chemical treatments, anti-tick vaccines and injectable medications to manage the threat, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) explains in a release.

A Line of Defense
Because Mexico continues to report cases of babesiosis, the Permanent Quarantine Zone (PQZ)—stretching from Brownsville to Del Rio, Texas—remains a critical line of defense. Within this zone, Tick Riders monitor for stray livestock crossing the border that may carry these dangerous ticks.

Cattle fever ticks carry bovine babesiosis, which is severe and often fatal.

(USDA)

To help prevent NWS, CFTEP has launched a preventive treatment protocol for all cattle and horses apprehended along the PQZ. Under the new protocol, CFTEP staff will apply NWS-preventative treatments to captured animals.

“These treatments are safe for animals and the environment. They do not replace APHIS’ routine inspections for cattle fever ticks,” APHIS explains.

However, to defend the U.S. from mounting threats of NWS, APHIS is employing these additional measures.

Don’t Accept Unusual
The NWS fly lays eggs and larvae in open wounds of warm-blooded animals,” says Russ Daly, Extension veterinarian for South Dakota State University. “NWS’s function is similar (but different) to a maggot. Domestic blow flies lay their eggs on dead tissue. The resulting maggots feed on the dead tissue. The difference with NWS is it lays its eggs on living tissue and will feed on living tissue.”

(USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)

NWS is endemic in parts of the Caribbean and South America and has recently spread as far north as southern Mexico.

“As Tick Riders take on this new challenge, they continue to exemplify APHIS’ commitment to protecting U.S. agriculture,” APHIS reports. “Their work helps ensure that farmers, ranchers and producers can keep feeding, fueling and clothing America.”

Daly challenges livestock producers to pay attention to unusual situations. If you have an animal that suddenly has a lot of necrotic tissue that fly larvae (maggots) are trying to clean up, Daly says that’s a sign producers need to take seriously.

“NWS does respond to some insecticides that we would use for show pigs or horses during the summer to keep the flies off,” Daly adds. “But in order to get that animal healed up, the larvae have to be flushed out and removed by a veterinarian. These infestations can lead to secondary infections to worry about. And, if the infestation has gone deep enough, there could be severe muscle damage or damage to other organs that are beyond help.”

Treatment products need to be considered, adds Lisa Becton, assistant director of SHIC. Because of this, wound care is key during NWS infestation.

“If you have animals that have sores, it’s very important to treat that wound,” Becton says. “You may or may not be able to use a sealant, whether that’s iodine or antibacterial. Wound care is very important to help get a wound healing fast, even if you also have to use antimicrobials for an animal to help prevent other infection.”

Learn more:
Protect Your Livestock: Signs of New World Screwworm

Where Animals, Data and Decisions Meet

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 17:38:33 GMT

One of the country’s leading authorities on diseases that can jump from animals to humans will be the 12th speaker in the Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems lecture series at Kansas State University.

Dr. Megin Nichols, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases , will speak on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in McCain Auditorium. Farm Journal is the exclusive media partner of the lecture series.

Her talk, titled “Where Animals, Data and Decisions Meet: A One Health Journey,” will explore the often-invisible thread that connects human health, animal populations and the environment. Admission is free and organizers say the lecture will be streamed live online.

One Health is CDC’s collaborative, multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary approach aimed at achieving optimal health outcomes for Americans by recognizing the connection between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.

“If you were to scan the newspaper on any given day,” Nichols says, “you’re likely to see something related to zoonotic diseases — diseases that can jump from animals to humans. These affect our health, our food supply, and even our economy.”

It’s a subject Nichols has studied for decades, and one she says touches every person, whether they know it or not.

She points to recent examples like highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), which disrupted both poultry and dairy industries while raising public health alarms; and the northward spread of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that threatens livestock.

“These are everyday issues,” Nichols says. “And by understanding how these outbreaks happen, we can prevent future ones. That’s the heart of One Health.”

Understanding zoonotic diseases

The term ‘zoonotic’ may be unfamiliar to some, but the concept is ancient — and personal, says Nichols, who grew up in rural New Mexico.

“My parents used to tell me, ‘Don’t go near that animal burrow; there might be fleas,’” she recalls. “They were teaching me basic zoonotic prevention before I even knew the word.”

Zoonotic diseases are caused by germs that can spread between animals and people through viruses, bacteria, parasites and even fungi. Nichols says about 60% of all known infectious diseases in humans come from animals, and three out of four emerging diseases originate in animals.

“That includes everything from E. coli to plague,” she says. “We still have plague in New Mexico, transmitted by fleas on rodents. These aren’t just things of the past.”

Risks to health and economy

Zoonotic diseases don’t just threaten human health; they can upend economies.

“We saw egg prices spike during avian influenza outbreaks,” Nichols says. “Milk production dropped when H5N1 hit dairy herds. These impacts ripple through supply chains, affecting consumers and producers alike.”

More concerning, she adds, is the potential for some of these pathogens to jump to people and cause outbreaks of their own — a sobering reminder that protecting animal health is often the first step to protecting human health.

Prevention: From barnyard to boardroom

When it comes to prevention, Nichols says there are simple steps every person can take — like washing hands after being around animals, cooking meat thoroughly, and using bug repellent to avoid bites from ticks, fleas and mosquitoes that can carry disease.

“Today, we have a real opportunity to translate science into public health communication, strategy, education and innovations that help us be better prepared to manage these diseases,” Nichols says. “We’re at a really exciting time in our history where we have laboratory techniques like whole genome sequencing to look at the DNA of bacteria, viruses and other organisms that infect us, and learn more about them.”

She adds that new technology can help to reduce the risk of transmission, such as a real-time traceability system that can help monitor disease in livestock. Innovations in facility design can also reduce risk — especially in places like petting zoos.

“You can still let kids interact with animals, but we can design safer spaces where they aren’t putting their hands and mouths on contaminated railings,” she says. “It’s about smart interaction.”

The Role of NBAF and K-State

Nichols says she’s particularly excited to speak in Manhattan, a hub of animal health research that includes the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) — the first U.S. facility with Biosafety Level 4 containment for livestock.

“NBAF is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and plays a critical role in diagnosing emerging diseases, developing vaccines, and protecting food and public health,” she explains.

K-State, while not managing NBAF, is deeply involved through education and research, training students and professionals to be on the front lines of disease detection.

“We rely on that first line of defense — the veterinarian, the family physician — to say, ‘Wait a second, I’ve seen this before,’” Nichols says. “That early detection can save lives.”

Looking to the Future

Though the Oct. 6 lecture will include students, researchers, and community members, Nichols says her message is meant for everyone.

“One Health is about understanding that our health is deeply connected to the animals and the environment around us,” she says. “And the more perspectives we bring — whether from agriculture, medicine, or public communication — the stronger we are when we face new threats.”

She adds: “Mentorship is key. We need to prepare the next generation of scientists, veterinarians, doctors, and communicators to face diseases we haven’t even imagined yet. And that starts by having conversations like the one we’ll have in Manhattan.”

K-State established the Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems lecture series to provide science-based education about world food issues. The series allows students, faculty, staff and Kansas citizens to interact with U.S. and international food industry leaders on topics of current interest.

The lecture series is funded by the Gardiner family of Ashland, Kan. Henry C. Gardiner, who passed away just days before the first lecture in 2015, was known as a visionary leader who dedicated his career to improving the beef industry through science and technology.

More information on this year’s lecture, as well as videos of past speakers, is available online .

Annual Survey Reveals Ongoing Mycotoxin Risks in Key Regions

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Each year, dsm-firmenich analyzes a large number of feed samples from all around the world to understand and monitor contamination levels of mycotoxins in a variety of feed ingredients, according to a release. This information is shared in the annual dsm-firmenich World Mycotoxin Survey .

When ingested by animals, mycotoxins have a wide range of negative effects such as impaired reproduction, digestive disorders, carcinogenicity and reduced performance. Mycotoxins are naturally produced by fungi and can contaminate feed raw materials in the field and during storage.

The results from the January through June 2025 survey concluded that deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins mycotoxins are most frequently found. The highest regions of mycotoxins were found in North, Central and South America, South Asia, China and Taiwan.

Key findings from each region:

• In North America, livestock is at high risk of exposure to DON and ZEN, with occurrence rates of 78% and 83%, respectively
• In Central and South America, high risk is associated with FUM, with average contamination levels around 2,000 ppb
• South Asia continues to be highly impacted by Aflatoxins, detected in 85% of samples
• In the China/Taiwan region, FUM was found in 98% of samples, while East Asia recorded a 100% occurrence rate
• In Central Europe, DON shows a high prevalence at 85%. Southern Europefaces challenges with Aflatoxins (54%) and FUM (76%)

The World Mycotoxin Survey represents 10,868 samples collected and analyzed from 81 countries around the world, resulting in 53,382 analyses.

“This year’s findings once again highlight the widespread and persistent nature of mycotoxin contamination in feed ingredients across the globe,” says Ursula Hofstetter, head of Mycotoxin Risk Management at dsm-firmenich. “With risks continuing to pose a threat to animal welfare, productivity and sustainability, proactive risk management and regular monitoring are more important than ever to maintain the profitability of both the feed industry and animal protein production sectors.”

The survey also includes further details on:
• Prevalence levels for each mycotoxin in each region
• Global and local risk levels for each mycotoxin
• Risk levels posed to each species
• Comparison of prevalence levels from January to June 2024
• More information about Spectrum 380^®, the most powerful mycotoxin detection method used as a research tool
• Overview on the occurrence of the most frequent mycotoxins, their masked and modified forms as well as emerging mycotoxins

Rural America is Facing a Mounting Labor Crisis

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:02:49 GMT

The American labor market is reaching a critical turning point that could tighten labor availability in rural industries and slow growth across the U.S. economy. A new quarterly report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange warns that demographic shifts and recent policy changes may start impacting businesses as soon as late 2025.

From livestock and crop operations to food processors and rural cooperatives, this labor shortage is becoming especially noticeable in the heart of America’s farmland. Many producers are already struggling to fill roles, and the challenge is expected to intensify in the coming months.

“Barring an unforeseen change in labor force participation rates or immigration policies, the pool of available workers is set to shrink sharply in the next few years,” says Rob Fox, director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. “The problem will be even more serious in states with slower population growth in the Upper Midwest, Corn Belt and Central Plains.”

Demographic Pressures Mount

Fox says the warning signs have been building for years. Labor force participation has steadily declined, birth rates have dropped and immigration policy has become more restrictive.

Between 2022 and 2024, nearly 9 million immigrants arrived in the U.S., driven by global humanitarian crises and relaxed federal rules. While that influx temporarily eased labor constraints, Fox says it only masked deeper, long-term trends.

U.S. fertility rates have fallen from 2.12 children per woman in 2007 to 1.62 in 2023, meaning fewer young people are entering the workforce just as the last of the baby boomers retire. In addition, labor force participation has slipped from a peak of 67% in 2000 to 62% today. Nearly 2.5 million working-age Americans have left the labor force in the past eight months alone.

“There is no single reason people are stepping away,” Fox explains. “It’s a combination of rising caregiving responsibilities, job skill mismatches, mental health challenges and higher disability rates. These are complex issues that won’t be resolved overnight.”

Shrinking Workforce Hits Agriculture Hard

The effects are already being felt across rural America. Farms, food processors, equipment dealers and cooperatives are struggling to find and keep the workers they need to maintain daily operations. Seasonal labor has become harder to find and full-time positions, especially those requiring specialized skills or long hours, are increasingly difficult to fill.

In regions with slower population growth, such as the upper Midwest and central Plains, the challenge is even more acute. These areas often lack the population inflows that help offset workforce losses elsewhere in the country.

While labor has been tight for several years, Fox warns that conditions are poised to deteriorate further.

“What we are facing is not just a cyclical labor issue; it’s a structural one,” he says.

Border encounters have dropped sharply since August 2024, signaling a steep decline in immigration. Combined with rising political pressure to increase deportations, the agricultural labor pool could shrink even more in the months ahead.

“Immigration has long been a key pillar supporting the rural workforce,” Fox notes. “Without a steady flow of new workers, farms and agribusinesses will have to get creative, either by increasing wages, automating tasks or changing how they manage production.”

Technology Offers a Path Forward

In response, more agricultural businesses are turning to technology to help offset the labor gap.

“The key to addressing labor scarcity always lies in innovation,” Fox says. “AI and robotics are no longer limited to the factory floor. They are increasingly being used in fields, dairies and food plants.”

A recent Gallup poll found that nearly one in five workers already uses artificial intelligence in some form each week. At the same time, the cost of robotics has dropped by nearly half in the past decade, making automation more accessible for a broader range of farms and agribusinesses.

CoBank’s report notes that many farm supply customers are using new tools to increase efficiency, improve decision-making and free up time for employees to focus on higher-value responsibilities.

Planning for What Comes Next

As producers look toward 2026, a combination of labor constraints, volatile input costs and shifting policy landscapes will continue to shape decision-making. Fox thinks adaptability will be essential.

“Technology will be critical to agriculture’s future,” he says. “AI and robotics can help farmers do more with fewer workers, boosting efficiency and margins. But investment decisions must be made carefully, especially in this uncertain economic environment.”

Until clearer policies emerge on trade, labor and energy, rural America will need to prepare for continued pressure.

“This is a pivotal moment,” Fox concludes. “Farms that plan ahead, embrace innovation and stay flexible will be best positioned to succeed.”

Breaking: Mexican Border Closed Again as New World Screwworm Comes Within 370 Miles of the U.S.

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 02:18:05 GMT

On July 8, Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality reported a new case of New World screwworm (NWS) in Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz, Mexico, which is approximately 160 miles northward of the current sterile fly dispersal grid on the eastern side of the country and 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border.

This new northward detection comes approximately two months after northern detections were reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, less than 700 miles away from the U.S. border, which triggered the closure of our ports to Mexican cattle, bison and horses on May 11, 2025 .

While USDA announced a risk-based phased port re-opening strategy for cattle, bison and equine from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025 , this newly reported NWS case raises significant concern about the previously information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the outlined port reopening schedule of five ports from July 7 to Sept. 15. Therefore, in order to protect American livestock and the U.S. food supply, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has ordered the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately.

“The United States has promised to be vigilant — and after detecting this new NWS case, we are pausing the planned port reopening’s to further quarantine and target this deadly pest in Mexico. We must see additional progress combatting NWS in Veracruz and other nearby Mexican states in order to reopen livestock ports along the Southern border,” Rollins says. “Thanks to the aggressive monitoring by USDA staff in the U.S. and in Mexico, we have been able to take quick and decisive action to respond to the spread of this deadly pest.”

To ensure the protection of U.S. livestock herds, USDA is holding Mexico accountable by ensuring proactive measures are being taken to maintain a NWS free barrier. This is maintained with stringent animal movement controls, surveillance, trapping and following the proven science to push the NWS barrier south in phases as quickly as possible.

In June, Secretary Rollins launched a 5-point plan to combat NWS by protecting our border at all costs, increasing eradication efforts in Mexico, and increasing readiness. USDA also announced the groundbreaking of a sterile fly dispersal facility in South Texas. This facility will provide a critical contingency capability to disperse sterile flies should a NWS detection be made in the Southern U.S.

Simultaneously, USDA is moving forward with the design process to build a domestic sterile fly production facility to ensure it has the resources to push NWS back to the Darien Gap. USDA is working on these efforts in lockstep with border states – Arizona, New Mexico and Texas – as it will take a coordinated approach with federal, state and local partners to keep this pest at bay and out of the U.S.

USDA will continue to have personnel perform site visits throughout Mexico to ensure the Mexican government has adequate protocols and surveillance in place to combat this pest effectively and efficiently.

Click to enlarge.

(USDA)

Your Next Read: Protect Your Livestock: Signs of New World Screwworm

New World Screwworm: The Billion Dollar Battle at the Southern Border

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:27:59 GMT

Nearly 60 years ago, the U.S. eradicated New World screwworm (NWS). Today, the risk of reintroduction is real. So real that Ethan Lane with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says it’s not a matter of if NWS will reach the U.S. but when.

“We need to spend $300 million now to save us $8 billion down the line in eradication costs,” says Lane, who serves as the senior vice president of government affairs. “This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s going to take years to re-eradicate New World Screwworm and push it back to Panama.”

As the fight to keep NWS out of the U.S. ramps up, the economic impact on ranchers and the industry is top of mind.

“Successfully eradicating New World screwworm from the U.S. in 1966 cost stakeholders’ tens of millions of dollars,” says TR Lansford III, DVM, deputy executive director and assistant state veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission. “The freedom from NWS provides an estimated $1 billion in direct benefits to livestock producers and $3.7 billion in benefits to the general economy annually.”

Financial Impact of NWS On Ranchers
Regular, large-scale outbreaks of NWS started occurring in the U.S. in the 1930s. According to APHIS, producer losses have reached:

1930s and 1940s — $5 million to $10 million per year
1950s and 1960s — $60 million to $120 million per year
1970s — $132.1 million per year (While the U.S. successfully eradicated the devastating pest, there have been outbreaks, primarily in Texas, since then.)

(APHIS)

Experts agree if NWS reaches the U.S., eradication today will be far more expensive due to the size of the cattle herd, speed and distance of cattle movement in commerce, and increased wildlife interfaces.

“Historically it cost tens of millions, and now it’s estimated to cost into the billions of dollars to eradicate this pest if it gets back to the U.S,” Lansford says.

Based on historical data from an isolated outbreak in Texas in 1976, per-head impact reached $452 in today’s dollars, totaling $732 million.

“[NWS] is a highly impactful foreign animal pest because it is expensive and deadly,” Lansford says. “Back in 1935, when screwworms were endemic in Texas, the state lost about 180,000 head of cattle alone in that year.”

Lansford says the industry will see decreased livestock production and increased veterinary services, medication, insecticide, labor and vehicle costs for the inspection and treatment of NWS.

“Infested wounds and/or mucous membranes and lesions created by this pest cause significant distress and damage to an animal, which can lead to chronic conditions making the animal less marketable and less productive in its lifespan,” he adds.

USDA Investment to Fight NWS
The reopening of Moore Air Base in Texas as a sterile fly distribution facility has an estimated price tag of $8.5 million. A brand new production facility, which would take two to three years to build would cost $300 to $600 million, depending on location and resources.

“That doesn’t include what it would cost to continue to operate one of those facilities,” Lansford says. “Certainly, research dollars also need to be spent to develop more effective treatments and other methods and modalities that we can use to help offset not only the infestations, but help prevent those infestations.”

USDA is also investing $21 million in the renovation of an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, to further the long-term goal of eradicating NWS.

Border Closing Impacts U.S. Cattle Industry
Since May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has suspended imports of live cattle, horses and bison from Mexico to keep NWS out of the U.S. Many U.S. cattle feeders depend on Mexican cattle to fill feedlots, especially now when the U.S. cattle inventory is at a 74-year low.

“Mexico exports, on average, 1.2 million head of cattle to the U.S. each year,” says Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian for NCBA.

Obviously, that number will take a hit with the border closed, but Simmons says even prior to the May 11 suspension, mitigation protocols for NWS, including wound inspections, for cattle from Mexico allowed less than 25% of the usual numbers to cross the southern border each month.

As the U.S. fights to limit the impact of NWS, it’s a long-term battle, reminds Lane with NCBA.

“They’re getting those flies on that leading edge of the incursion. As I understand it, that is slowing the advance in a way that is very good to see,” he says. “The fact is, there are just so many different vectors. There are so many different ways this thing can move north, and we’re going into the hot season where flies thrive. So it’s really about slowing it, about preparing and about making sure we have the resources to meet it and push it back down as quickly as possible. But certainly everyone’s trying to focus right now on trying to hold the line as much as humanly possible.”

As Lansford has come to realize: “This pest will be one that leaves quite a mark on our economy.”

Your next read: How to Win Beef Consumers’ Trust: Authenticity and Responding to Concerns

Processors Need to Be Included in Agriculture Worker Solutions, The Meat Institute Says

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 18:03:05 GMT

The Meat Institute urges the Trump Administration to include the processing sector, a critical part of the meat and poultry supply chain, to be included in the administration’s plans for a stable and legal agriculture workforce.

“President Trump has an opportunity to solve the agriculture labor crisis that has challenged our farmers and ranchers for decades,” Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts said in a release.

As reforms are considered, Potts is asking the Trump Administration to include meat and poultry packers and processors in his efforts to improve agriculture worker programs.

“More than 850,000 hog farmers, cattle ranchers and poultry growers rely on meat packers and processors to market their animals and consumers rely on processors for the nutrient dense meat and poultry they feed to their families,” Potts adds.

Meat and poultry processors -- thousands of small and large companies -- keep the rural economy moving by producing the beef, pork and poultry purchased by 98% of American households, she points out.

“These companies offer excellent pay with entry-level wages ranging from $16 to $24 an hour plus benefits,” Potts says. “Our members, together with their suppliers and others in the meat and poultry supply chain need changes to the H-2A visa program and modernization of E-Verify to ensure the processing sector has access to a consistent, year-round, legal workforce.”

The Meat Institute points out that there is strong bipartisan support for packers and processors to be included in agriculture labor program reforms. In 2023, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) created the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group co-chaired by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ar.) and Rep. Donald Davis (D-NC). Their final report, released in 2024, called for granting year-round industries access to the H-2A program.

“One thing that has become clear is the need for dairy producers, meat processors, sugar processors, forestry, ranchers, and others to have access to a steady and legal workforce,” the members said in the report.

Your Next Read: If I Could Turn Back Time: Farmers Open Up About Learning Life Lessons the Hard Way

Chinese Scientist Accused Of Smuggling ‘Potential Agroterrorism Weapon’ Into the U.S.

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:10:37 GMT

Two Chinese nationals have been charged with trying to smuggle a fungus, Fusarium graminearum, into the United States.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud.

The charges against the pair were unsealed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, on Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office references Fusarium graminearum online as a “dangerous biological pathogen … which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon.”

Fusarium graminearum causes significant diseases in a number of U.S.-grown food crops, including corn, wheat, barley, soybeans and rice.

Diseases caused include Fusarium head blight (scab) in wheat, and two corn diseases Gibberella ear rot and Gibberella stalk rot , which can lower yield and feed quality of silage corn, according to the Crop Protection Network, a partnership of land grant universities.

Toxins the fungus produces can cause vomiting, liver damage, reproductive defects and mycotoxin-induced immunosuppression in humans and livestock, including cattle, hogs, horses and poultry.

One Scientist Arrested, One Returned To China
The 25-page criminal complaint alleges Liu tried to smuggle the fungus through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DMA) in July 2024, so he could study it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, worked at the time.

Jian had been living in the U.S. and working at the university laboratory since 2022.

The roots of the case involving Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, stretch back to March 2024. That is when Liu applied for a B2 tourist visa to enter the U.S.

(The Detroit News and Sanilac County Jail)

According to the criminal complaint, Jian and Liu had both previously conducted work on the fungus in China.

Officials further allege Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen in China. They also claim she is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Jian, who was arrested by the FBI, remains in federal custody. On Thursday, her detention hearing was adjourned until 1 p.m. June 13 to allow time for a new defense attorney to get up to speed.

Liu was sent back to China last year after changing his story during an interrogation at the Detroit airport about red plant material discovered in a wad of tissues in his backpack, the FBI says.

The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu’s arrest unlikely unless he returns.

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

“It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals,” the university added. “We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution.”

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

(Michigan News Source)

Boyfriend Spills Intentions To Investigators
An article in The Detroit News said Liu told investigators during an interrogation at the Detroit airport he planned to clone the different strains and make additional samples if the experiments on the reddish plant material failed, according to the government.

“Liu stated that he intentionally hid the samples in his backpack because he knew there were restrictions on the importation of the materials,” an FBI agent wrote. “Liu confirmed that he had intentionally put the samples in a wad of tissues so CBP officers would be less likely to find and confiscate them, and he could continue his research in the United States.”

Liu told investigators he planned on using UM’s Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory to research the biological materials, the FBI agent wrote.

“Liu stated that, while he was in the United States, he would have free access to the laboratory at the University of Michigan on some days, and that other days his girlfriend would give him access to the laboratory to conduct his research,” The Detroit News article reported.

Before preventing Liu from entering the U.S. and sending him back to China, the investigators found messages between the couple that indicate Jian previously smuggled biological material into the U.S., the FBI agent wrote.

The messages are from August 2022 and discuss smuggling seeds into the U.S.

Lawmakers Respond To The Criminal Complaint
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the Justice Department “has no higher mission than keeping the American people safe and protecting our nation from hostile foreign actors who would do us harm.”

“Thanks to the hard work of our excellent DOJ attorneys, this defendant — who clandestinely attempted to bring a destructive substance into the United States — will face years behind bars,” the attorney general says.

“I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday.

(FBI)

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the arrest of Jian late Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter.

“This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences … putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”

U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon says the criminal charges against Jian and Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate its agricultural economy and cause harm to humans.

“This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners,” says Raybon in a prepared statement. “I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”

Your next read: Surveillance State: Game Wardens Sued for Secret Private Land Intrusions in Alabama

U.S. Cattle Industry Urges Mexico's Border to Remain Closed Over Spread of New World Screwworm

Tue, 13 May 2025 21:31:47 GMT

New World screwworm (NWS) has been detected in Mexico only 700 miles from the U.S. border. With the impending threat, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says it’s not a matter of if the U.S. gets the deadly pest — but when.

Mexican officials said Tuesday they won’t close the southern border to cattle from Central America, but the U.S. cattle industry strong supports USDA’s decision over the weekend to suspend cattle, horse and bison imports from Mexico , saying the 15-day suspension will likely be extended due to Mexico’s lack of action so far.

NWS Detected 700 Miles From the U.S.
It’s an issue that started in November. The detection of NWS in Chiapas, which is near the Guatemala border, caused USDA to close the border to cattle imports. While shipments resumed in February, USDA says Mexico isn’t doing enough to eradicate the invasive pest, causing an even greater threat to the U.S. cattle industry. And now NCBA wants the U.S. to ramp up efforts as well.

“When we discovered New World screwworm flies in the southern border of Mexico right before Thanksgiving back in November, at that point in time, USDA provided counsel, they provided some money to help the Mexican government try to stop the incursion of the fly,” Colin Woodall, CEO of NCBA, told AgriTalk’s Chip Flory.

“But unfortunately, because of the ineptitude of the Mexican government, quite frankly, the corruption of the Mexican government, the inability to actually allow the planes that are carrying the sterile males to land and to be able to do their job, they have now come further north,” Woodall says. “And right now we know that New World screwworm flies have been detected just 700 miles south of the U.S. Border.”

Woodall told AgriTalk’s Flory that the pest is now way too close for comfort.

Mexico Won’t Close Mexico/Central America Border
According to Reuters, Mexico’s agriculture minister said on Tuesday it will take a long time to eradicate the pest. While the officials said they won’t close Mexico’s southern border to cattle from Central America, Mexico will tighten the flow of cattle from the south of the country to limit the potential spread of the screwworm.

“We are going to be restricting cattle movement from the south of the country much more tightly,” Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue said on Tuesday, adding that “closing the border is a complex issue that needs to be carefully analyzed, because it also impacts the national meat supply.”

MEXICO AGRICULTURE MINISTER:

WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO ERADICATE SCREWWORM FROM MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA
— PiQ (@PiQSuite) May 13, 2025

Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, spoke with Drovers about the geography of southern Mexico and how the NWS has been able to move further north.

“Mexico has that narrow point down there at the bottom, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, then to the east of it is the Yucatan Peninsula. To the west is the rest of Mexico, and that narrow gap is, historically, where we established the boundary way back when,” Peel explains. “When we initially controlled screw worm in the U.S., we pushed it down through Mexico and got it past below that isthmus, and that was the boundary for years. Then we eventually got it down to Panama, but it got away from them. In Panama, it came back up through Central America, and now that’s the reason we closed the border. It’s actually jumped past that isthmus and is into a part of Mexico now where it’s going to be increasingly difficult to contain it, just physically. That’s the concern and the reason for this latest action.”

NCBA Blames Corruption in Mexico’s Government
Woodall told AgriTalk the country has poorly managed the situation so far and was pointed with his words, saying it’s because of the Mexican government’s failures that Rollins stepped up and closed the border on Sunday to “send a very clear signal that they have failed, and they’ve got to step up their approach.”

“We do know that the first meeting to review the ban is in about 15 days, and then it’ll be reviewed on a month-by-month basis,” Woodall said on AgriTalk. “That’s what the secretary has said. But unless they do something miraculous as far as changing the approach that they are taking in trying to address this in Mexico, I doubt that it’ll be lifted in 15 days just because of what we’ve already seen. They’ve had six months to step up here and try to address it, and they’ve fumbled the ball.”

“They’ve had six months to step up here and try to address it, and they’ve fumbled the ball.”

Colin Woodall, Chief Executive Officer, NCBA

The corruption claims are rooted in what the U.S. has experienced over the past several months. As the U.S. has tried to ramp up efforts to help stop the spread, Woodall told Flory that there have been instances where the government wouldn’t allow U.S. planes to fly over impacted areas, or not allow those planes to land.

“Will they allow that without additional hurdles or trying to extort money from these planes?” Woodall says. “Will they be true cooperators in helping us get those sterile flies delivered into the country? And can we show that there is a check in their northern approach? If we can look at some things like that, then we’ll be willing to go back to the table, because as I said, we know that this is an economic impact on us, but it’s also a pest that we do not want here domestically.”

The Risks of NWS If It Enters the U.S.
The risks are high. Not only is the U.S. beef cattle herd the smallest in more than 60 years, NWS can be lethal to other species.

“We have to be prepared, and that’s why I talked about it. We need to make sure producers understand what to look for because if you don’t catch it fast, you’re going to lose that animal,” Woodall says. “Also this is not just a cattle issue; we’re talking all warm-blooded animals. This can be on birds. This can be on hogs. It can be in pets like dogs. And it can be in people. So, this is going to be a significant issue that we have to deal with not just as a cattle industry, but us in agriculture because I think it also could look really bad from an optics standpoint if somebody’s dog gets screwworms and they want to blame us as agriculture for being responsible for it.”

“This is not just a cattle issue; we’re talking all warm-blooded animals. This can be on birds. This can be on hogs. It can be in pets like dogs. And it can be in people.”

Colin Woodall, CEO of NCBA

Woodall says NWS is a nasty parasite. It hasn’t been in the U.S. since the 1960s, but the reason it’s so difficult to manage is it lays larva, and the larva dig into the flesh of the animal, basically eating the flesh.

“That’s how it develops,” Woodall says. “And so, if it’s not treated, within four to seven days, you can lose an animal. This is a significant animal health issue.”

Currently, there’s a sterile fly production facility in Panama. Jointly funded by the U.S. government, the facility produces a little more than 100 million sterile flies a week, according to Woodall.

“Now, when we were dealing with this down in southern Mexico, 100 million were enough to be able to stop it,” he says. “But now that they have gone through that phytosanitary border and are coming north, that’s no longer going to be enough. We do not have enough sterile flies.”

NCBA Is Working with Congress and USDA to Ramp Up Sterile Fly Production Domestically
NCBA is talking to both USDA and Congress about building a sterile fly production facility in the U.S. When NWS was a problem in the U.S. more than 60 years ago, there was a production facility based in Texas.

There is legislation to do just that. The STOP Screwworms Act was introduced by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). It would fund the opening of a new sterile fly facility in the United States, with the legislators saying the bill would help protect both livestock and human health from the New World screwworm.

“One of the things that we’re also talking to the secretary about and also with Congress is how do we have the funding to build a sterile fly production facility here in the United States because that is the only way we’re going to stop these flies, get them out of the United States, out of Mexico, and ultimately push back into South America,” he says.

“One of the things that we’re also talking to the secretary about and also with Congress is do we have the funding to build a sterile fly production facility here in the United States?”

Colin Woodall, CEO, NCBA

He says in the ‘60s, it took more than 400 million sterile flies a week to eradicate the issue.

“We are focused on getting the domestic production up and running as quickly as possible, so is Secretary Rollins,” Woodall says. “She’s doing a tremendous job in leading this effort. This is something that she has taken on personally. And so I have a lot of faith in her and her willingness to help us as an industry push back this pest, eradicate it as quickly as possible and try to get back to normal training.”

Groups like the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) also support a bill to protect the U.S. from NWS.

“The STOP Screwworms Act is a vital step in protecting the U.S. cattle herd from the growing threat of the New World screwworm. This legislation provides USDA the support needed to construct or retrofit domestic sterile fly production infrastructure which Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association believes is essential in preventing a widespread outbreak,” President Carl Ray Polk Jr. said in a statement. “We are grateful to both Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Gonzales who understand the importance of acting quickly to support cattle raisers and ensuring the threat of the New World screwworm is taken seriously at the highest levels in Washington.”

Read More: U.S. Suspends Mexican Cattle, Horse and Bison Imports Over Screwworm Pest

Rollins Says USDA Will Announce Application Process for $21 Billion in Disaster Aid Within Days

Wed, 07 May 2025 18:44:02 GMT

In her first hearing on Capitol Hill since the confirmation process earlier this year, Secretary Brooke Rollins faced the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, fielding questions on everything from USDA’s bold budget cuts and frozen funding to the fate of the nearly $21 billion in disaster aid.

Rollins fiercely defended the cuts, continuing to argue that it is a way to make USDA more effective and more efficient. She also told the committee that farmers will be able to sign up for the disaster aid by the end of May.

Congress approved the disaster aid on Dec. 21, 2024. While the $10 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) was passed the same day, it was separate and came with a clear deadline on when USDA had to disperse those funds. In the hearing this week, Rollins admitted the disaster aid program has been more complicated to roll out.

“That one’s a little more complicated than the ECAP, the disaster or the emergency relief payments, but we’re really close and within a matter of days or weeks, certainly by the end of this month, that money will begin moving,” Rollins said on Tuesday.

The nearly $21 billion in disaster aid targets agricultural losses from natural disasters in 2023 and 2024, which includes:

Droughts
Hurricanes
Floods
Wildfires
And other extreme weather events.

Of those funds, $2 billion is earmarked for livestock losses attributed to droughts wildfires and floods. There is also an allocation of $220 million that will be distributed through block grants to smaller agricultural states with limited farm income and acreage.

“We are within days of announcing the application process,” Rollins said. “Of course, that’s a little more complicated because we don’t have the specifics, and it isn’t, as [Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.] mentioned, in North Dakota, 15,794 of your farmers and ranchers have received money through that first tranche, through the first $10 billion, the emergency aid. On the weather-related programs, that application opens in the next week or two. And we will be moving very, very quickly.”

.@SecRollins testifies before Congress: "When farmers prosper, rural America prospers." pic.twitter.com/rXwV12JPDD
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 6, 2025

According to Pro Farmer, the disaster aid is intended to cover losses in revenue, production quality, and infrastructure for crops, livestock and timber. And most of the aid is expected to be administered through USDA’s Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which has been used for similar disaster relief in previous years. However, USDA has indicated the new program will be more farmer-friendly than the Biden administration’s implementation of the last ag disaster funds.

Rollins says the rollout of the disaster aid funds is “a long time coming,” bacause it is related to disasters that happened as long as two years ago.

“And so ensuring that we get that out as quickly as we possibly can with the team that we have in place,” Rollins said. “I’m really proud of, I believe, how efficiently and how quickly the team moved out that first tranche. And I believe that you’ll see the same sort of efficiency and effectiveness with the second tranche, so it’s within the coming weeks.”

Rollins Fiercely Defends Cuts at USDA

Also in the hearing, Rollins defended recent budget and DOGE cuts, saying her team is eliminating what she called wasteful DEI spending, fraud and abuse in all USDA programs. She argued the plan is to rebuild USDA to put farmers first.

Rollins also discussed some frozen funds at the agency and when a review of them will be completed.

“We are working around the clock, going line by line, we’re down to the final 5 billion out of, I believe, almost 20 billion of frozen funds, but $5 billion is a lot of money,” Rollins said. “And when you think about that in terms of grant or contract and moving that out quickly, we’re very helpful to keep moving through that very, very quickly and have that done very soon.”

Rollins was also asked about the 15,000 USDA employees who have taken buyout offers from the federal government . Reports show that accounts for nearly USDA’s total workforece, and impacts farmer-facing agencies such as Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency.

“The 15,000 number, it is less than 15% of our total workforce,” Rollins said. “I realize that’s still a very, very big number. But I think it’s important to realize in the context that every year USDA, through attrition loses between 8,000 and 10,000 employees. So, it’s a massive government agency, but they’re refilled. Well, and that’s what we are looking to refill. The front liners, that’s I was talking about right now. So whether it’s FSA, APHIS, the Wildland Firefighters, those are through a memorandum I just signed, we are actively looking and recruiting to fill those positions that are integral to the efforts and the key front line.”

Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., followed up and asked, “So, you let people go, and you’re looking for new people to fill the positions that they had experienced in?”

“We’re having those discussions right now,” Rollins said. “We are working with all of you around the country, in your states. We believe our firefighters are operationally ready for wildfire season. Our FSA offices, we are making things more efficient, but bringing on new people that could potentially be a game changer in those offices.”

The workforce reduction is part of the federal government’s current Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), which is the voluntary program that allows eligible federal employees to resign in advance while continuing to receive pay and benefits until Sept. 30.

Rollins then clarified and explained the 15,000 USDA employees who accepted the buyouts, weren’t employees who were fired, they were resignations.

“None of those people were fired,” she added. “So, if they want to come back, and if they were in a key position, then we would love to have that conversation.”

Rollins said the latest round of DRPs, which happened in April, USDA didn’t accept some of the resignations, specifically if those employees were in what Rollins called “key positions,” which includes APHIS, FSA, etc.

“We are very intentionally approaching this,” she said. “Have we done it perfectly? No. Any type of whole scale change, and big effort to basically realign an entire government agency is difficult. And we know that, and we know it hasn’t been perfect, but we’re working every day to solve for a lot of this, and I think we’re making a lot of really good progress.”

USDA Spends $400 Million a Day on Food Assistance Programs

The other hot button topic during the hearing was food assistance. The secretary pointed out USDA spends more than $400 million a day on food assistance programs and said ending COVID-era funding programs doesn’t mean defunding food assistance.

You can listen to her pointed comments in the video below.

USDA alone spends $400+ MILLION each day on food assistance programs.

Ending COVID-era funding programs doesn’t defund food assistance. It ensures we’re good stewards of taxpayer dollars. pic.twitter.com/3lT7Fu6or9
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) May 6, 2025

Mexico Takes Additional Measures to Help Fight New World Screwworm

Thu, 01 May 2025 18:24:33 GMT

USDA has announced that Mexico agreed to additional measures to help fight New World Screwworm (NWS). The U.S. had given Mexico a deadline of April 30 to follow protocols in place or the U.S. would put restrictions on cattle imports.

USDA Secretary Rollins posted on X.com that Mexico has resumed efforts to help fight NWS with the following:

Eliminate restrictions on USDA aircraft
Waive customs duties on eradication equipment
Increase surveillance

(X.com)

Rollins says ports will remain open to livestock imports at this time, however if at any time these terms are not upheld, port closure will be revisited. The secretary had sent a letter to Mexico outlining the expectations for cooperation on the issue.

Protocols had been established in February after the pest was discovered in southern Mexico in November 2024.

“I am happy to share Mexico has continued to partner in emergency efforts to eradicate the New World Screwworm,” Rollins says. “This pest is a devastating threat to both of our economies, and I am pleased to work together with Mexico in good faith to protect the livelihoods of our ranchers and producers who would have been hurt by this pest.”

Rollins reiterated that USDA is working every day to keep pests and disease from harming the agricultural industry.

“I thank our frontline USDA staff and their counterparts in Mexico for their work to ensure the screwworm does not harm our livestock industry,” she adds.

NWS is a deadly parasitic fly that infests warm-blooded animals, causing severe wounds and complications that can lead to death.

Your next read: Streamline Spring Cattle Processing with These 3 Stress-Reducing Steps

Iowa State Livestock Research Aims to Uncover How Biological Factors Impact Human Fertility

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:25:44 GMT

Despite having sperm with good motility (forward movement) and morphology (cell shape), one out of every four boars experience a conception rate of less than 80%. The issue mirrors human fertility challenges with one out of eight couples struggling with infertility, and one-third of those cases are attributed to male factors, according to the National Institute of Health.

“Pigs and cattle are species we have plenty of oocytes and sperm cells available for, allowing us to conduct in vitro fertilization research,” says Karl Kerns, Iowa State University assistant professor of animal science in a recent article . “They also are effective models for human reproduction compared to rodents, who do not model the human as well genetically or phenotypically at the cellular level.”

He dedicates his research efforts to pigs and cattle .

Kerns’ Lab specializes in molecular reproductive physiology with a focus on understanding and enhancing livestock sire fertility. The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including andrology and molecular biology labs as well as an in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab. The IVF lab has computer-assisted semen analysis and time-lapse fluorescent microscopes to image-based flow cytometry paired with deep learning, artificial intelligence analysis methods and sorting flow cytometry.

The lab’s goal is to enhance reproductive efficiency by analyzing sperm quality and identifying biological markers that influence fertility rates. The process involves sorting sperm cells using advanced flow cytometry technology. The sorter system uses microfluidics and lasers to analyze and sort cells based on fluorescence-marked biomarkers.

“We can track thousands of cells per second, identifying key fertility indicators and sorting them accordingly,” Kerns says.

The process allows for an in-depth analysis of fertility potential and production capabilities.

Kerns’ team employs both positive and negative biomarkers to evaluate sperm quality. Positive biomarkers are generally considered good and reflect increased chances of conception, while negative biomarkers can indicate compromised fertility potential.

The team also assesses mitochondrial activity, zinc signatures and protein detection, all of which assist the lab in detecting and analyzing both healthy and unhealthy sperm.

Ian Shofner, a third-year doctorate student in mammalian reproductive physiology, focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) and developing models that predict sperm fertility metrics in the Kerns Lab.

“Currently, male fertility diagnostics are lacking in accuracy, and my work aims to improve these predictions for better assessments of male fertility in mammals,” Shofner explains. “With this, we intend on enabling the industry to make cost-effective AI solutions for fertility diagnostics using affordable brightfield microscopy technology.”

Tyler Weide, a third-year doctorate student in the interdepartmental genetics and genomics program, has an emphasis on uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms for fertilization.

“It’s an ideal environment for those interested in reproductive physiology to apply critical thinking in solving complex problems relevant to both agricultural and biomedical sciences,” Weide says.

Your Next Read: Gene Editing: Livestock Genetic Improvement Through DNA Editing

China Strikes Back: U.S. Beef Now Faces a 56% Tariff, Pork is 81%

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 18:02:29 GMT

Just days after President Donald Trump announced responsive tariffs impacting 186 countries, China is hitting back. On top of the tariffs China already has in place, it’s matching the additional 34% tariff the U.S. announced on April 2.

As China slaps back, U.S. pork exports will now face a 81% tariff, while the tariff on beef is now 56%.

“These rates represent the sum total of China’s 12% most-favored-nation tariff, plus retaliatory duties previously imposed by China, plus the new duties set to take effect April 10,” says Dan Halstrom, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) CEO.

The tariff rates now placed on U.S. meat are hefty, and USMEF says the impact could be significant, especially for pork.

“U.S. beef already faces major obstacles in China related to plant eligibility, so an increase in retaliatory duties puts exports in even greater jeopardy. Unfortunately, taking China out of the export mix also impacts the price U.S. beef cuts command in markets like Korea, Japan and Taiwan,” Halstrom says. “China’s duties on U.S. pork were already daunting and will now be massive, which severely impacts exports of pork variety meat. These exports equate to about $10 per U.S. hog, with China accounting for more than half of that total. USMEF remains hopeful that negotiations will be held soon to address these issues.”

While this does create new challenges and makes U.S. meat even less competitive for China, U.S. pork exports hit a record-high in 2024.

According to USMEF, China accounted for 15% of total U.S. pork export volume last year and 13% of export value. Variety meat was much higher. China took 54% of U.S. pork variety meat shipments, accounting for 59% of the value of these products.

As for beef, China accounted for 14% of total U.S. beef export volume last year and 15% of export value.

What’s at Risk for Ag?
It’s no secret China isn’t the giant export destination it was before the previous trade war. For years, China remained the top destination for U.S. ag exports, but now Mexico holds the top spot and Canada is second. In 2023, U.S. ag exports to China decreased, and China’s share of total U.S. exports fell to a four-year low.

What caused the shift? Economists say there are a number of factors, including fallout from the first trade war, increased competition from other countries, changes in Chinese import policies and a slowdown in China’s demand for certain U.S. ag products. It’s important to note, Brazil’s market share in China has been growing.

34% Tariff is in Addition to 20% Tariffs Already in Place for Other Ag Goods
Even before China’s retaliation this week, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) analysis from March showed Beijing had specifically targeted 15 products, including beef, cotton, grain sorghum, pork, corn and dairy along with fresh fruit.

AFBF shows China has made up a quarter or more of U.S. global agricultural exports for 10 targeted products over the last five years:

Macadamia nuts (99%, $12 million)
Frozen swine carcasses (96%, $25 million)
Grain sorghum (88%, $1.3 billion)
Frozen swine offal (75%, $593 million)
Soybeans (53%, $12.8 billion)
Frozen unboned hams, shoulders and cuts thereof (45%, $7 million)
In-shell hazelnuts (38%, $8 million)
Cotton, not carded or combed (29%, $1.5 billion)
Frozen boneless bovine meat (27%, $1 billion)
In-shell pistachios (25%, $627 million)

Economists say while it’s too early to measure the full impact of the tariffs on U.S. agriculture, they believe it will certainly decrease demand for U.S. products in China.

Comparing the Possible Impact of Trade War 2.0
The March Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found while 92% of economists think the U.S. is already in a trade war, 69% say they don’t think a trade war today would have the same impact it did 2018 through 2020.

“When you look at China, Brazil and soybeans, we don’t have as much of the market to lose as we did the first round,” one economist said.

Ag Econoimsts’ Monthly Monitor

(Lindsey Pound)

However, many economists think a trade war, this round, will have a more severe impact on agriculture.

“The trade war in 2018/19 also had the African swine fever [ASF] in China in the mix,” one economist said in the monthly survey. “Because of ASF, they did not need the soybeans anyway. It will be hard to figure out what impacted the U.S. markets/prices more, but the market reaction should not be as great this time.”

“It would be a bigger impact,” said another economist in regard to another trade war with China. “The first round of trade wars in agriculture were largely used as a wedge for negotiation or renegotiation of agreements that provided improved access and growth opportunities for ag trade. This round seems to be championed based on reshaping the entire trading system, a system that U.S. agriculture largely benefited from over time.”

(Farm Journal)

When economists were asked who ultimately wins in a trade war, none said the U.S. The majority of ag economists (73%) say it’s ultimately one of the United States’ biggest competitors: Brazil. Eighteen percent, however, think China will benefit from the latest trade war.

6 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Wildlife Biosecurity Breaches

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:59:27 GMT

Wildlife serve an important purpose, but they can also be a major threat to livestock. It’s not possible to keep all wildlife out, but steps can be taken to decrease their activity. Before taking any action, make sure that the wildlife you want to control are not endangered, threatened or protected in your area.

One way you can keep unwanted visitors out is by buttoning up your biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases and pathogens.

1. Compromised exclusion
When damage occurs to barriers you put up to keep birds away, that can actually create more habitat. Now birds can get in and get behind the barrier which serves as the perfect protection from predators. Nests of wild birds are an indicator that birds are using your Line of Separation for housing.

Robin nest on barn ledge.

(USDA Wildlife Services)

2. Breaches in the foundation
Keep buildings and fences in good repair. Seal holes where wildlife can enter. Anything over 1 square inch is possible for a house sparrow to get into. Repair screens and doors and replace rotting or damaged wood. Nests of wild birds are an indicator that birds are using your Line of Separation for housing.

3. Holes/construction issues
Repair holes in buildings or barns to prevent entry. Regularly check and repair damaged screens on windows and doors

4. Spilled feed
Remove excess feed and feed spills as these can attract bird flocks. It’s not uncommon for birds to defecate while eating. This becomes an opportunity for mice and other rodents to eat the spilled feed and bird poop before heading back into the barn. Keep a broom and lidded garbage container at every feed storage area for quick cleanups.

Feed spillage

(USDA Wildlife Services)

5. Standing water
The virus itself can live in water for months if it’s cold. If you see water, consider it positive for virus. Don’t walk or move equipment through or near standing water— this could track wildlife feces or other contaminants with the virus into your barns.

6. Clutter and tree management
Clutter and trees around the farm provide the perfect habitat for birds and other wildlife to find refuge. Reduce natural food sources by removing fallen fruit and mowing grass often.

Your Next Read: Don’t Be Deceived: Wildlife Pose Serious Threat to Livestock Producers

What Do Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreaks in Europe Mean for the U.S.?

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 22:09:30 GMT

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is rearing its ugly head in Europe. After an outbreak in water buffalo in Germany in January, an outbreak in cattle in Hungary in early March and an outbreak in cattle in Slovakia last week, why now? What is the U.S. doing to keep this foreign animal disease out and protect the country’s livestock industry?

“FMD is caused by a virus that affects cloven-hoofed animals so that can include cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,” explains Megan Niederwerder, DVM, who serves as the executive director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC). “It does not affect humans and is not a threat to food safety, but it has significant trade implications once it is introduced into a country.”

FMD has been fairly quiet in these European countries – with no cases reported for decades. Other parts of Europe have seen outbreaks more recently like the 2001 outbreak in the United Kingdom that caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism and resulted in the cancellation of the World Pork Expo held in Des Moines, Iowa.

“FMD really decimated the United Kingdom,” says Barb Determan who was serving as president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) at the time. “It became very apparent that we couldn’t guarantee the safety for our U.S. pig herd because of the high numbers of international travelers that would be at the show. We had to cancel World Pork Expo out of an abundance of precaution.”

Although there is still a lot to be discovered about how FMD was introduced into these populations, it’s a significant warning to the U.S. to be on alert.

(Lori Hays)

That was the first time, but not the only time World Pork Expo was canceled. The event was also canceled in 2019 because of the African swine fever outbreak in China and again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That was a hard financial decision,” Determan says. “We had just completed the separation agreement between NPPC and the National Pork Board. NPPC was very tightly budgeted at that time, so it was a huge hit.”

However, keeping the U.S. pig herd safe was the most important thing on everyone’s mind. She says they made their decision after hearing reports from veterinarians who had been to England to better understand the extensiveness as well as from the USDA that had sent veterinarians over to help.

“At that time, we didn’t have near the biosecurity practices and things that we do now with the disinfectant foot mats,” Determan says. “We also don’t have live pigs on the on the grounds now compared to how we did things many years ago. We used to have live pigs everywhere on the fairgrounds in the early 2000s from genetics companies with pigs in their displays to the pigs in the live shows.”

The Truth About FMD
The clinical signs of FMD are similar to what the name implies. It can cause vesicles or blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue of animals that are infected. The U.S. has not had a case of FMD since 1929.

“We certainly want to keep it that way, as the economic implications for producers are significant if the virus is introduced,” Niederwerder says.

Compared to many viruses, FMD is a highly stable, non-enveloped virus that allows it to be infectious for longer periods. It’s very contagious and highly transmissible. Not only are there risks with transmission of the virus through infected meat products that may come in through illegal trade, but it can also be carried on contaminated clothes or equipment or supplies of humans.

“The human would not be infected, but certainly people can carry the virus on contaminated clothing,” Niederwerder says. “That’s why it’s really important as we think about prevention of entry into the U.S.”

FMD causes fever and pain. It results in excessive salivation and causes reduced milk production in dairy cattle.

“When you think about the impact, certainly there’s an impact on animal health with regards to the clinical signs, but even further is this impact on trade restrictions and the economic losses for producers,” Niederwerder says. “When you try and contain the virus, that oftentimes results in those infected animals being culled or euthanized so the disease no longer has the chance to spread.”

Why Should the U.S. Pay Attention?
When a virus moves into a new geographical range or is reintroduced into a country that has maintained a negative status for a long period, Niederwerder says it’s critical to reassess the risk to the U.S.

“In January, Germany reported their first case in over 30 years in water buffalo near Berlin,” she explains. “It was 14 animals, and those animals were all culled after the infection was confirmed but certainly trade restrictions and implications on surrounding areas of that Berlin farm were significant.”

Fast forward to March when two additional countries have reported cases. Hungary reported FMD in a single farm of cattle in the north part of the country for the first time in over 50 years. Shortly thereafter, the virus appeared in Slovakia (who also hadn’t seen a case in over 50 years) in multiple herds of cattle.

“Just recently, another herd was a suspect herd in Slovakia, near the southern border near Hungary,” Niederwerder says. “This is certainly concerning about how this virus is being reintroduced. Is it associated with contaminated fomites that may be in the country or traveling to new locations? Is it associated with wild boar? Could it be associated with infected hay?”

Although there is still a lot to be discovered about how FMD was introduced into these populations, it’s a significant warning to the U.S. to be on alert .

“We need to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t get reintroduced into the U.S.,” Niederwerder says. “How can we amp up any biosecurity measures that are necessary to reduce our risk? We also need to think about reducing the risk of introduction into our country through travel and illegal trade.”

Be on Alert
Livestock operations should reevaluate biosecurity protocols. If any of your farm’s employees travel to areas where there are infected animals, implement a quarantine period for entry back into your U.S. farm, she advises.

“Be vigilant,” Niederwerder urges. “One of the challenges of FMD is that it does cause these characteristic lesions of vesicles or blisters on the mouth, nose or the hoof. What becomes very tricky is that those clinical signs are indistinguishable from other vesicular diseases such as Senecavirus A. If producers and veterinarians see these lesions, they must report it immediately so it can be investigated and confirmed that it is not FMD virus.”

FMD is not just a disease of pigs and cattle, she points out. Sheep, goats and cloven-hoofed zoo animals may also be impacted by FMD. This increases the breadth of what the industry needs to monitor.

“The world is very small now,” Niederwerder says. “Not only do people travel more internationally, but animals move around more than ever, too. It’s extremely important for those of us that are producers to keep our eyes open and pay attention to what’s going on worldwide so we can be as prepared as possible for any change in disease risk.”

That’s one of the ways that SHIC is trying to help producers. SHIC provides timely domestic and global disease updates to producers.

“Watching the SHIC global disease report is really important for producers,” Determan says. “It comes out every month and really gives you a feel for what’s happening in the entire world from a swine health standpoint. The biggest lesson we learned from the 2001 FMD outbreak is that looking farther out than just our own farm gate is so important.”

Keep Reading:
An Update on Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype O in Germany

Hungary Confirms Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Cattle

Slovakia Records First Foot-and-Mouth Cases, Minister Says

Economists Fear the U.S. Will See a Recession in 2025, And That Could Eat Into Consumers' Demand for Meat

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 17:56:24 GMT

Consumer meat sales hit record-breaking levels last year. The craze for protein-filled diets has been a storyline that’s helped drive meat demand, which is good news for meat producers. Ag economists warn, however, the major limiting factor for meat demand, and meat prices, in 2025 just may be what happens in the overall economy.

The March Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor asked economists if they think the U.S. general economy will see a recession in 2025, and 62% said yes.

Recent reports agree with that sentiment, as the Federal Reserve’s key inflation index rose more than expected in February and consumer spending posted a smaller-than-projected increase, according to the Commerce Department. Both could be warning signs of what’s ahead.

As a follow up question, The Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor survey asked, “In what ways does the U.S. economy impact meat demand in 2025?” Respondents had no shortage of opinions on that.

Here’s a rundown of some of their reactions:

“If real wages fall, there will be a substitution toward other protein/cheaper meat cuts.”
“Slower growth (even if the U.S. does not endure a recession) will reduce consumer willingness to spend, especially at a time when beef prices, in particular, are high.”
“A downturn in economic growth impacts disposable income and should slow animal protein demand.”
“There is a positive correlation between GDP and meat demand, particularly between GDP and higher end cuts.”
“When the U.S. economy is strong and incomes increase, consumers have more disposable income to spend on meat and higher quality cuts of meat. When the U.S. economy is weak and disposable income tightens, consumers may reduce meat in their diet or turn to less expensive meat options.”

Not all economists expect U.S. consumer demand to fall off though, even if the U.S. officially enters into a recession.

“Labor income is growing faster than inflation. Most U.S. firms are profitable - at least as of current earnings reports,” said one economist.

Another shared, “I do think consumer demand will be lower in 2025 than it was in 2024. That being said - 2024 consumer expenditures and demand were a lot higher than I anticipated at the beginning of the year. Two indicators that are showing up, and are unsustainable right now, are reducing savings accounts and increasing credit card debt. I think it leads to slower meat demand in 2025, partially due to lower meat availability and partially due to slowing consumer demand. Notice I said ‘slowing’ consumer demand and not ‘declining/negative’. Demand does not have to decline year-over-year to impact meat prices. Slowing can do the same thing.”

The GLP-1 Effect
What could have an even bigger impact on meat demand, and even more so than inflation and a recession, is the use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. GLP-1 drugs not only moderate users’ blood sugar levels, but also affect their appetites by suppressing hunger cravings.

“U.S. consumer preference for meat demand is strong, though I would be paying attention to the growing use of GLP-1s as it relates to all agricultural product demand,” one economist responded.

The good news is studies have shown those who use GLP-1 drugs often crave healthier items and often consume more protein versus unhealthy foods.

Starting From a Place of Strength
Forecasting meat demand in 2025 relies on a number of factors. But a positive trend is how consumers, especially the millennial generation, are buying more meat. As PorkBusiness.com reported this week, consumers are buying more meat than ever. In 2024, meat sales hit a record high of $104.6 billion and total pounds sold increased by 2.3%, which was cited in the latest Power of Meat.

More people want meat today, but economists are concerned any economic pain could eat into overall meat demand.

Goodbye, La Niña? Eric Snodgrass Dissects What the Shift Means for Weather This Spring and Summer

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 21:12:50 GMT

La Niña is weakening, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) expects neutral conditions to develop in the next month . But even with La Niña fading, meteorologists are still concerned about drought this spring and summer.

NOAA this week said forecasters expect ENSO-neutral conditions to develop in the next month and persist through the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. According to NOAA, La Niña’s signature is cooler-than-average surface water in the east-central tropical Pacific, stronger-than-average trade winds, and drier conditions over the central Pacific.

ENSO-neutral means conditions could be close to average, but Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, says that doesn’t mean the weather will be normal this spring and summer.

“I do expect changes,” Snodgrass says. “Think about it like this: The previous winter was an El Niño winter, and it was very mild and very wet. So, we got into spring ’24 with tons of moisture. I mean, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota flooded out. Then we had this incredibly dry fall as the La Niña began, and it reached a peak twice. It actually hit a peak in December, and then a secondary peak about a month later at the end of January. It’s been fading ever since. The big question is, as we go into neutral conditions for this upcoming growing season, is it going to be one that paints a picture of precipitation extremes? Did it leave us with any sort of kind of problems from winter that are carrying over?”

Snodgrass says the severe weather outbreaks on Friday, that brought high winds, dust storms and wildfire warnings across the Plains, is a reminder how dry it is in the Southwest.

“We’ve got major pockets of the country that are still dealing with some pretty big drought conditions. It is fading, and that is a signal we have to pay attention to,” Snodgrass says.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey is also concerned about what impact the shifting pattern will have on farmers this spring. But it’s not just the dryness. It’s also the fact areas are getting inundated with rains that could pose problems.

“With this stormy weather pattern in place, that is going to create some difficulty for spring field work in some areas. It looks like the primary storm track may be through parts of the middle of the country extending into the lower Midwest and eventually the interior northeast. That is one area where we already have fairly wet conditions,” Rippey says.

How sea surface temperatures in the Niño-3.4 region of the tropical Pacific changed over the course of all La Niña events since 1950 (gray lines) and 2024-25 (black line). This shows the traditional calculation for Niño-3.4, the monthly temperature compared to the most recent 30-year average (1991–2020 for the 2024 line). By this measure, the La Niña threshold was crossed in December 2024, but La Niña remains weak.

(NOAA)

La Niñas and El Niños Are Strongest in the Winter
Snodgrass points out La Niñas and El Niños are always strongest in Northern Hemisphere’s winter, which means they fade in spring and summer.

While La Niña-like conditions were a trademark in late fall, we didn’t reach the official definition of La Niña until January.

“The atmosphere way back in November was already treating our winter timeframe like a La Niña,” Snodgrass says. So, we were getting the influences of it as it comes in and goes out. And now the question is, what’s it going to do?”

February 2025 sea surface temperature compared to the 1985-1993 average. The surface of the east-central tropical Pacific is slightly below average temperature, but much of the global ocean remains warmer than average.

(NOAA )

“This is a great map to look at,” Snodgrass says, referencing the map above. “If you focus right in the middle, you see the large area of the cooler colors. Our line is now shifting to the central and West Pacific and behind it over by South America. All of the warmer water is beginning to emerge. And that’s what’s killing it because there’s a trade wind across that area from the east to the west. We’re going to watch this fade carefully during the spring. But the question is: Do we get winter’s leftovers?”

What Fueled the Dryness This Winter?
During the winter, Snodgrass points out there was no subtropical jet. That’s what fueled drought in the Southwest and Northwest.

“I’m actually kind of worried about the beginning of April having another shot at cold air after what we’ve been experiencing in March, which has been so very, very mild. Then you say, well, we’ve had so much dry air in place. Are we still worried about more dry air coming back? To be honest, these big storm systems coming through the central U.S., if we could get four, maybe five more of those by early April, we’re going to hate it. It’s nasty weather. It’s not fun, and it’s dangerous, but it returns moisture. That could be part of the mix of things, including the fading of La Niña that could help bring us away from these major early season drought risk scenarios.”

55% of corn production, 46% of soybean production, 33% of the cotton growing area and 27% of the winter wheat production are currently experiencing drought.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

Growing Drought Concerns
What if it doesn’t? What if we don’t see more of this severe weather hit the Southwest and Plains, and moisture remains absent as we get into the height of spring? Well, the area will enter into the height of the growing season dry and reduce their chances of seeing moisture this summer.

“That’s a box we check every spring,” Snodgrass says. “If the drought monitor saw a reduction in drought over winter, then that gives us a different look for spring. But what we see here is two-thirds of the country in some stage of drought, including the abnormally dry category. But it’s the epicenters of drought that are so concerning. Look at the Western Corn Belt. Look at the Southwest. We just wonder if that funnels into the Mississippi Valley as we go forward.”

At the same time some areas are seeing drought, Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and the boot heel of Missouri are all experiencing heavy rains and flooding.

“By May 11, I want to know what the drought monitor map looks like. If it looks no different, then I’m going to be sounding alarms going into summer with concerns this will start to creep and move because as soon as we get into the summer weather, all we get is convective storms pop off. And what do they do? They just locally deliver rain - not big broad swaths of it,” Snodgrass says.

Tale of Two Weather Scenarios
He says the forecast leading up to May 11 is a tale of two weather patterns, with the Mississippi River being the dividing line for moisture.

“If you are along it and east of it, I think we’re going to have tight windows to plant. You could include a little bit more of Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota in that as well,” Snodgrass says. “I think we’re going to see repeated storm systems. The best moisture is east. It keeps avoiding that southern plains area.”

What to Watch: Where the Storm Chasers End Up
Snodgrass says if storm chasers are busying chasing severe weather across the Ohio Valley, the mid-south and the southeast, but not in Kansas and the Plains, that’s a key indicator there’s a problem with the moisture getting back into the plains.

“If it’s not there by the time we start June, it’s very difficult to rely on the atmosphere to return it once you get into the summer months if you live in the central plains, which is where they could build from,” he adds.

To watch the complete discussion with Snodgrass, visit Farm Journal TV and take advantage of the free trial.

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Proactive Strategies for Managing Increased Mycotoxin Risk

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 22:29:09 GMT

Mycotoxins are natural substances produced by molds and fungi and are more prevalent in agriculture now more than ever before, according to 2024 U.S. Harvest Analysis released by Alltech. More than 95% of crops today are contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, and often with two or more. Mycotoxins are are difficult to detect and can cause significant damage to animal health before producers even realize their presence.

The comprehensive report determined the combination of heavy early-season rains and late-season droughts has created distinct challenges for crop producers in the United States and indicated that overall risk is moderate to high.

“The trend for corn grain and corn silage is somewhat higher across all regions of the U.S. than it was for 2023,” says Dr. Max Hawkins, global technical support for the Technology Group at Alltech. “This increase in risk is due to the occurrence and levels of type B trichothecenes primarily, but zearalenone and fumonisins are also included in the increase, particularly in the Eastern U.S. The result is an increased pressure on animal health and performance that producers will need to monitor moving forward to maintain a proactive mycotoxin management program.”

What can producers do to manage and mitigate mycotoxin risk?

Learn which mycotoxins pose the highest risk to specific regions, crops and species.
Test and monitor: Regularly test crops and feed to understand what’s present and to ensure high quality.
Leverage weather data: Pay attention to weather patterns and farm-specific conditions to assess potential risks early.
Use comprehensive information: Gather unbiased data from all aspects of your operation and tailor it to fit your specific needs.
Combine methods: Utilize both traditional techniques and new technologies to refine processes and ensure feed quality.
Act proactively: If mycotoxins are present, be proactive with management to ensure high-quality feed production, thus protecting animals and safeguarding your operation’s resilience and success.

Key points included in the analysis include:

Corn silage

The Upper Midwest showed higher risk due to DON than in 2023, while other regions showed a similar risk to 2023. Emerging mycotoxins and Type B trichothecenes had the highest prevalence.

Corn

The risk from corn grain is primarily DON and fumonisins. The risk in the East is similar to 2023, while the risk in the Midwest is greater than 2023, particularly for monogastrics.

The final mycotoxin risk will ultimately depend on the animal species and groups being fed and the mycotoxin concentrations and combinations in the finished diet, according to the report.

Testing includes samples of new-crop grains and forages collected from farms or animal feed production sites across the country, ensuring an accurate picture of mycotoxin contamination. All samples are tested at the leading-edge Alltech 37+® lab, which can detect the presence of 54 mycotoxins.

Elanco Launches Pradalex for Treatment of Livestock Respiratory Diseases

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 03:35:58 GMT

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated announced the availability of Pradalex (pradofloxacin injection) for the treatment of swine respiratory disease (SRD) and bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

The first new molecule and injectable antibiotic treatment to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat BRD and SRD in roughly two decades, Pradalex offers livestock producers a new tool in the toolbox.

“SRD is the most prevalent cause of nursery and grow-finish pig deaths in the U.S. creating substantial production and economic losses for producers and accounting for additional annual costs of up to $5 per pig,” the company said in a release. “In the cattle industry, BRD — or ‘shipping fever’ — is one of the most frequent and costly stocker and feedlot diseases, affecting the health and wellbeing of animals and potentially costing producers $1 billion annually.”

Available in 100 mL and 250 mL volumes, Pradalex is indicated for the treatment of BRD and SRD and kills major BRD and SRD bacteria, including Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis in cattle and Bordetella bronchiseptica, Pasteurella multocida, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Glaesserella (Haemophilus) parasuis and Streptococcus suis in pigs.

“The launch of Pradalex further demonstrates Elanco’s commitment to bring new tools and innovations that help address some of our customers’ biggest challenges,” José Manuel Correia de Simas, executive vice president, U.S. farm animal at Elanco, said in a release. “Pradalex is a new molecule with a novel mode of action that treats respiratory diseases in beef and swine, strengthening our portfolio of solutions and providing veterinarians and producers with multiple choices to prevent and control respiratory challenges.”

The treatment is a convenient single-dose, low-volume antibiotic with “excellent syringeability and an industry-leading withdrawal period,” the company said in a release. Pradalex’s structural differences result in a dual targeting effect that yields improved potency compared to similar antibiotics, Elanco added.

Because Pradalex is rapidly absorbed and distributed at the injection site, it can reach a high and effective therapeutic concentration in plasma within 45 minutes of administration to cattle and a high maximum therapeutic concentration in cattle lung pulmonary epithelial lining fluid within six hours. The company explained this aids in the fast in-vitro elimination of bacteria and limits lung damage in both cattle and swine. Its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile reduces the time needed to select resistant bacteria, contributing to judicious antibiotic use , Elanco said.

“Pradalex combines a high plasma peak concentration reached very quickly with a unique mode of action, resulting in comprehensive coverage of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens,” Pat Hoffmann, Elanco swine technical consultant, said in a release. “It makes an exceptional option for a spot treatment injectable intervention.”

Pradalex is indicated for the treatment of:

SRD in weaned swine intended for harvest
BRD in beef cattle (calves two months of age and over, steers, heifers and bulls intended for slaughter and replacement heifers and bulls intended for breeding and less than one year of age)
BRD in dairy cattle (replacement heifers and bulls less than one year of age)

Pradalex should not be used in swine intended for breeding (boars intended for breeding, replacement gilts and sows intended for breeding) and in nursing piglets. Pradalex should also not be used in male and female cattle intended for breeding that are over one year of age, in calves under two months of age, or in veal calves.

“At Elanco, we focus on bringing producers a broad portfolio of solutions to support their disease prevention efforts, starting with vaccines and feed additives that optimize the health outcomes of calves,” Ronald Tessman, Elanco beef technical consultant, said in a release. “When antibiotics are necessary, Elanco has a full range to fit producers’ needs. Pradalex is our newest antibiotic and is truly different from any other product on the market, giving producers another valuable tool that can be used in an integrated approach to reducing losses due to BRD.”

Learn more at farmanimal.elanco.com/us/swine/product/pradalex and pradalexforcattle.com .

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Cattle and Bison Imports from Mexico to Resume Under New Protocols

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:46:37 GMT

On Feb. 1, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced cattle and bison imports from Mexico will resume utilizing new preventative measures. Imports are scheduled to begin in the next several days.

In November 2024, APHIS halted shipments of Mexican cattle and bison after a positive detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in southern Mexico.

According to the release, APHIS and Mexico agreed to and implemented a comprehensive pre-clearance inspection and treatment protocol to ensure safe movement and mitigate the threat of NWS. APHIS says its top priority is to protect American livestock from foreign pests.

Newly released preventative measures include:

Mexico identified and prepared pre-export inspection pens in San Jeronimo, Chihuahua, and Agua Prieta, Sonora, which APHIS visited, inspected, and approved.
Cattle and bison will be inspected and treated for screwworm by trained and authorized veterinarians prior to entering the pre-export inspection pens, followed by inspection by Mexican officials before proceeding to final APHIS inspection before crossing at the Santa Teresa and Douglas Ports of Entry, respectively.
Cattle and bison approved for importation will also be dipped in a solution to ensure they are otherwise insect- and tick -free.

The United States and Mexico are working closely to approve additional pre-export inspection pens and reopen trade through other ports of entry, the release says.

APHIS will continue working with partners in Mexico and Central America to eradicate NWS from the affected areas and to reestablish the biological barrier in Panama, which has been maintained since 2006.

In the last two years, screwworm has spread north of the barrier throughout Panama and into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize and now Mexico.

The APHIS release says the increase is due to multiple factors including new areas of farming in previous barrier regions for fly control and increased cattle movements into the region.

APHIS is releasing sterile flies through aerial and ground release at strategic locations, focusing on Southern Mexico and other areas throughout Central America.

A complete list of regions APHIS recognizes as affected by screwworm as well as more detailed information on trade restrictions can be found on the USDA APHIS Animal Health Status of Regions website .

Profit Tracker: Margins Remain Strong for Cattle and Hog Producers

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 21:56:26 GMT

Negotiated cash cattle remained steady the week ending Jan. 18 while feedlot margins decreased $55 per head to an industry average of $248.51 per head, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker. Meanwhile, beef packers saw losses improve $11 per head to a loss of $71 per head. That puts the packer/feeder margin spread at $319 per head in favor of the feeder.

Cash cattle averaged $204.12 per cwt. the week ending Jan. 18, while Comprehensive Beef Cutout prices posted a $6.92 per cwt. increase to close at $330.37 per cwt.

Cattle marketed last week carried a total feed cost of $471.76 per head, about $77 more than feed costs for cattle sold the same week a year ago.

Cattle placed last week are calculated to have a purchase price for 750-800 lb. feeder steers at $273.16 per cwt., up $8 from a month ago.

The estimated total cost for finishing a steer last week was $2,856 per head, up from last year’s estimate of $2,368 per head.

Fed cattle slaughter totaled an estimated 494,460, up 4,283 head from the same week last year. Packing plant capacity utilization was estimated at 84.8%, up slightly from 84.1% last year.

View the full Sterling Beef Profit Tracker for the week ending Jan. 18.

Farrow-to-finish hog producers found positive margins of $28.74 per head last week, up $2.56 from the previous week, according to the Sterling Pork Profit Tracker. A year ago, those margins were at -$48.88. Lean carcass prices averaged $81.79 per cwt., up slightly from the previous week.

Hogs placed for finishing last week had a breakeven at $147.43 per head.

Pork packers saw average profits of $6.99 per head, up slightly from the previous week. Last year pork packer margins were $75. Hog slaughter was estimated at 2.569 million head, up 14,850 head from the same week last year.

Pork packer capacity utilization was estimated at 98.0% compared to 97.5% last year.

View the full Sterling Pork Profit Tracker for the week ending Jan. 18.

The Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are calculated by Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore.

(Note: The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker calculates an average beef cutout value for the week in its estimates for feedyard and packer margins. Other prices in the weekly Profit Tracker also are calculated weekly averages. Feedyard margins are calculated on a cash basis only with no adjustment for risk management practices. The Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are intended only as a benchmark for the average cash costs of feeding cattle and hogs. Sterling Marketing is a private, independent beef and pork consulting firm not associated with any packing company or livestock feeding enterprise.)

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